Means for protecting live parts of electric switches or the like.



PATENTED APR. 1b, 1904. w. MoDEVITT.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING LIVE PARTS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION IILBD SEPT. 26, 1903.

NO' MODEL. I

vi & I

I UNrrED STATE Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

winLiA'ir'M nnvirr, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG1 .IOR oF-TWO-THIR S. TOWASHINGTON DEVEREUX- AND WILLIAM W. HQLLIN s ORrH, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

I MEANS roaPRoTEcTms LIVE- PARTS OF: ELECTRIC SWITCHES OR THE LIKE.-

. SPECIFICATION part of'Iietters iatentNo. 757,830, dated April 19, 1904.

I I Application filed September 26, 1903. Serial No- 174599- (No model.)

v Too/ll whom; it mdiyconcern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'MODEVITT, a

citizen of the United States, residi'ngat the city of Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means 'forProtecting Livellarts of Electric Switches or the Like, of which the .followingis a specifi-' cation. U 1 In a former patent,No. 7 33.502, granted to me under date of July 14:, 1903, there is illus- *tratcd, described, and claimed a means for'protecting liveparts of switches and similar electricdevices, consisting of .ablock of insulat- I ing material divided into a plurality of mem' bers so grooved, recessed, and arranged that v whenthe-devicelis' in operative position in the block the members of said blockconceal and surround all. exposed live parts of the electric device. I

In some forms of electric devicesi-such, for

instance, as a; kniie-switch-it may be advisable or desirable to surround or conceal and 4 protect the exposed live'parts of the device 5 inasolid orone-pieceblock of insulating-mate- V rial,'such as porcelain 'or similar dielectricmaterial, and in this application fora patent there is described a modification of .the block of my former patent, No. 7 33,502,.in which'a ing m'eans. The nature and scope of my preseritinvention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith; the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in Which 3 solid or one-piece block is usedas the protect Figure 1 is'a view in plan illi stratin'g a solid 7 or one-piece block of insulatingmater 'al com- I plemental'ly grooved, recessed, channeled, and

4shouldered to receive, hold, and conceal or protect the live parts of a knife-blade switch. Fig. 2 isan end elevational view looking from the'left in Fig. .1. Fig. 3. is an elevational view of the right-hand end of the block of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal .Isectional --view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1', and Fig.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken on .thedine 4: 4 of Fig. 1.

block of suitable insulating material'such,

Referring to the drawings, or represents a for instance, as porcelain or other dielectric I material. In the .upper portion of this block a are formed the grooves or channels 6, arranged, preferably, parallel to each other and traversing the block longitudinally. In crosssection at approximatelya point midway between the'ends of the block these grooves or channels are formed into narrow slots or'recesses b, as illustrated in Fig. 5. At either end of the block, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, these grooves b are widened and shaped into somewhat elliptical form, as at b The grooves b are'so shaped or formed as to snugly receive or conceal and protect. the active or live partsof the switch and are of such a blades. The screws (2 which secure the conmegs, d to the block a, are preferably passed "through countersunk portions in the lower face of the block, and when once in position v the spaces surroundingthe'headsof the screws dare filled in with an insulating paste, ce

ment,-or a block-d.

- By forming the insulating-block of one solid piece insteadof aplurality of members,'asde-- scribed in; my formerpatent, Nofi 33,;592, it; is .1.

impossibleto I accidentally ornegligently disarrange or separate the insulation from the live 5 depth that. these parts are below the top edge parts ofthe switch, andby forming the'grooves bintoend enlargements'b and narrow slits b suifici'ent space is allowed for the assemblage of the parts or the switch, and yet the knife- ;blades' diarefsoclosely surroundedby insulating material asto 'efiectually preventarcing in the closing or opening of the switch.

hill

l hiring thus described the nature and object of niyinventien, what I laim as new, and (lesire to secure by, Letters Patent, is--- l. 'lheemnhinetien with an electric switch or equivalent (lOVlCU, of an insulnting-lileelc surromnling and protecting the live parts oi the switch, the block having in its upper portion longitudinalgrooves extending from end to end through the l)l()0l( and terminating;- at eitherentl' (if the bloeltin enlni "(.l messes to receive and smrrenncl the terminals and contectn 0f the switch, and the grooves being mm reweil intermerlieteei' the end enlargements to miugly lit the blades of the switch.

2. The combination with an electric switch or equivalent device, of en inmileting-l l0el within which the live pnr'ts oi the switch are concealed, the block having in ite; upper pertion longitudinal grooves; extending from entl to end through the block :LIHl terminating at (ntherenil (if the block in enlarged reeesses'to receive and inclese the terminals, nnil rontnets in testimony whereof l heve hie-ennui set my signature in the presence of two filliifittll rin: witnesses.

WM. illelJlGV lll. "Witnesses:

J 'il xil'rnn Ilene use, 'lnunxn M. ii lnii'rii. 

